Educational techniques that improve student engagement have repeatedly been shown to improve performance at the class level at many institutions and in multiple disciplines. However, knowledge of engagement in individual activities in large first-year classes, where there may be several subpopulations of students in different programs reflecting…

The "field trip" is a key pedagogical tool within geographical education to encourage deep learning, though they are increasingly difficult to implement due to reduced budgets, safety concerns and increasing class sizes. We incorporated three field-learning activities into a large introductory module. A traditional staff-led trip was the…

Presents a study that investigated the effects of student factors related to course preparation, specifically participation in Learning in Communities (LINC) and technology, on the success of the students in an introductory sociology course. Reveals that attendance and reading required texts were significant predictors of success, while LINC…

This book presents a wide selection of issues currently of interest and concern in higher education institutions in Ireland. The chapters are snapshots of the intersection between theory, practice and research in particular settings; they are not meant to be comprehensive. Nevertheless, they present practice approaches, new theoretical…

In its use of complex, real-world problems to introduce concepts and motivate learning in an active and cooperative learning environment, problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to the passive lecture in introductory college science. Use of technology and multimedia instruction, focus on large classes, and use of interdisciplinary…

Since Spring 1969, Prince George's Community College (Maryland) has offered a team-taught, interdisciplinary course incorporating economics, geography, and political science in an introduction to social science for technical education students. As the course was originally designed, each of the instructors of the three disciplines was given a…